Comfort
by Song to Fly
Summary: Petra has come back alive from her first expedition outside the walls, she just wishes she hadn't.


**Hiiiiiiiiii. This is my 2nd ff and I got inspired by episode 21 where it was revealed that Petra and Auruo had peed in their pants during their first expedition hahaha, so here is my attempt at describing what has happened next.**

**Okay well, I have a lot to say about this one, this happens after Petra's first expedition outside the walls as a soldier of the Recon Corps, I don't know if I'm right or not, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but during this time, she wasn't a soldier in the Special Ops Squad ? I mean, Erd, Gunther and Auruo had first started as normal Recon Corps soldiers and then got handpicked by Levi, right ?**

**Well in this ff it's how it goes, the Special Ops Squad doesn't exist yet and Levi is choosing soldiers. I don't know if this makes sense, omg I'm just so bad with words and explaining what's on my mind jfkufuf... ;-;**

**Enough blablabla, I hope you like it !**

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As soon as they got back from the expedition, Petra rushed to the bathroom they had in the Scouting Legion HQ, throwing her clothes away and just stepping in the big bucket they would use for baths, she didn't care about letting the water heat up. It was cold and she told herself she deserved it as a punishment. The bite of the icy cool water on her skin made her at first let out a small whimper, but she then shut her mouth tight, until her teeth started chattering, and instinctively she just wrapped her arms around her naked aching body. She didn't know if she did that because she was freezing or because she was ashamed of herself.

She had trained so hard, she had showed herself worthy of the attention her superiors showed towards her. She was a good soldier… Or so she had thought. Because a good soldier doesn't pee during their first expedition, right ? Well, she did.

She wanted to make a good impression so bad though. It just all slipped away when she got caught by that 9m class titan trying to save Auruo who also got embarrassed. She had been reckless, and instead of just turning her back to it and moving forward with Auruo in front of her, she just stopped moving, paralyzed, and ended up caught.

Her Corporal saved her, killed that titan and got her out of that mess. She didn't even realize how her body had responded to fear until some of the soldiers started laughing.

_Oh. Right._

She just blushed furiously and bit back her tears.

_Really, it would have been better if that titan ate me._

The loud sound of the door opening made her scream as she tightened the grip of her arms around her. As a reflex, after seeing who that was, she wanted to stand up and give her salute, when she sharply remembered she was in a tub, naked.

Levi eyes widened in shock before he muttered the words « Dammit Petra, when you get in here you fucking close the goddamn door. » while he turned his face to his side.

« I'm so sorry, Heichou, I r-really thought I had closed it. I'm so sorry. Sorry. Just so s-. »

« Why did you just throw your clothes ? These are dirty… » he interrupted, then continued after a brief silence, as if thinking, « You don't even have a towel and clean clothes. What's happening to you today, Petra. »

That wasn't much of a question, he went to pick up the clothes from the floor when she started shouting.

« No, Heichou ! They're very dirty and they stink, I mean… You… You know I… Well… I… »

A little sigh left him as he bent down to pick them up, suppressing the urge to comment on how filthy they got after the expedition. The sight made Petra blush even more, if that is even possible.

He turned around and left, the blonde strawberry girl stared at the door for a while before loosening the grip around her pained body, the cold water slapping her where she had kept her hands so tight it had warmed her a little bit. She bit her lower lip so as to stop herself from letting out another little cry and just let her chin rest on her ankles as she brought her legs to her chest.

She was so cold.

The door opened again, and this time she didn't bother to look around, her eyes lost on a spot in front of her.

« Here is a towel, I don't know where your room is so I can't really bring your clothes and that'd be creepy if I asked Erwin, so I brought you one of my shirts and these pants, took them from Hanji's room so you'll have to return them. »

He placed all the clothing on a table nearby and quietly headed for the door, he suddenly stopped at the threshold of the bathroom.

« What's your room number ? »

« 2, Sir. »

Levi nodded and just left, closing the door behind him.

She stayed in the tub for a while before standing up, shaking. Petra looked at the furnitures and put the towel around her aching body.

_You messed up, really, Petra…_

This was all she could think of when she was walking down the hallway, secretly hoping she wouldn't encounter anyone who would make her remember what had happened during the day with infinite tact.

The door of her room was closed, « Good » she thought. But much to her surprise, when she got in, she found him sitting on the chair of her desk, legs and arms crossed, with the same stoic expression he would always have.

« Your lips are purple, Petra. » was the first thing he said.

« I… I'm sorry for what happened today, Heichou. I… I don't want you to look down on me because of that. I'm a capable soldier, I trained hard. I wouldn't want you to ignore my capabilities, Heichou. »

Levi had to admit, he wasn't waiting for that one.

He had observed her, ever since she had joined the military training camp. The color of her hair had caught his intention first, he hadn't seen quite like that shade before, but he soon noticed how weightless she would seem when using her 3DMG. He recognized talent and potential when he saw those and indeed, she could be a great soldier.

He saw her again the day the newbies had to choose the branch of the military under which they would serve. She had been in the top 10, even if he didn't really recall her exact rank. He hoped she would join them, not because she had those honey-like eyes, but because they needed soldiers like her.

Today, she didn't die, and that was quite an accomplishment.

« You're not dead, Petra. » he simply stated.

« Eh ? » was the only sound that escaped her lips.

« It's better to piss in your pants than die during your first expedition outside the walls. »

She was good. He saw it when she tried to save that other new recruit, Auruo. He knows that takes courage.

« Listen, I'm not your keeper or your friend. But you have two options, either you stagnate, let this paralyze you and end up being useless in the field, or you move on, practice harder, and kill as many titans as you can. »

He stood up and walked towards her.

« Choose. »

On his way to the door, he removed his vest and placed it on her shoulders.

« Don't fucking use cold-ass water again, you're going to end up sick and sick soldiers are a burden. »

A few moments later, she heard the door close behind his footsteps. The vest stank of him, and that made her blush again, not that he smelled bad, he actually smelled really good, he smelled… clean and she could tell he put on cologne. She took the fabric and brought it closer to her nose, inhaled and exhaled.

Her choice was made. She was going to devote herself to this man. He had saved her, she owed him her life, and he was the only one who hadn't made fun of her, and actually cared enough to bring her clothes, wait for her in her room and… comfort her ? Did he just comfort her ?

Her mind was set. She will practice harder and be of some use to him.

Little did she know he had already chosen her to be in Special Ops Squad.


End file.
